Access East Chicago Probate Court Records

East Chicago probate court records are handled by Lake County, not the city itself. All estates, wills, guardianship petitions, conservatorship filings, and related probate matters for East Chicago residents go to the Lake County Circuit Court in Crown Point, which is the county seat roughly 20 miles south of East Chicago. There is no city probate court in East Chicago. Searching East Chicago probate court records online is straightforward using Indiana's MyCase portal, which covers all Lake County filings. For certified copies or in-person records requests, contact the Lake County Clerk's Office at the Crown Point courthouse.

Which Court Handles East Chicago Probate

Probate court in Indiana operates at the county level. East Chicago falls within Lake County, so all probate filings go to the Lake County Circuit Court in Crown Point. There is no city probate court in East Chicago. This applies to estate administration, will filings, intestate proceedings, guardianships, and conservatorships for anyone who resided in East Chicago at the time of death or incapacity.

Indiana Code IC 29-1-7-1 establishes probate venue as the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. For East Chicago residents, that county is Lake County. Crown Point, roughly 20 miles south of East Chicago, is where the Lake County Courthouse is located and where all probate filings are made.

The East Chicago City Clerk (Richard Medina) handles municipal records for the city, not probate matters. The city clerk's office at 2301 E Columbus Drive maintains council minutes, city ordinances, and local vital records for events that occurred within city limits. Do not contact the East Chicago City Clerk for estate or will information.

Lake County Circuit Court Contact

The Lake County Clerk's Office manages all probate records for East Chicago and every other city in Lake County. The main clerk's office is in Crown Point. Lake County is a large county with a complex court structure, so it helps to call ahead and confirm which division or courtroom handles the specific probate matter you need.

• Court: Lake County Circuit Court
• Address: Lake County Courthouse, 2293 N Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307
• Phone: (219) 755-3455
• Lake County Clerk Page: lakecountyin.org/departments/clerk
• Lake County Courts: lakecountyin.org/departments/lc-courts
• Indiana Judicial Branch: in.gov/courts/local/lake-county

Lake County accepts credit cards with a 3% convenience fee. Cash and money orders are also accepted. For mail requests, include a money order and a self-addressed stamped envelope with your record request.

Search East Chicago Probate Records Online

To search, go to the MyCase portal and select Lake County from the dropdown. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney. Probate estate cases use the "ES" case type code, and guardianship cases show up as "GU." Most documents in active cases are viewable at no cost online. Lake County uses the Odyssey case management system, which syncs with MyCase in near real time.

For older records that predate the Odyssey system, you may need to contact the clerk directly. Lake County's court structure is larger than most Indiana counties, so some older probate files may be archived separately. A clerk staff member can help you locate historical records if the case does not appear in MyCase.

Types of Probate Records in East Chicago

When someone in East Chicago dies or becomes incapacitated, the court proceedings that follow are all filed with Lake County. The case types handled by the Lake County Circuit Court for East Chicago residents include:

• Estate administrations - formal probate of a decedent's estate, with or without a will
• Will filings - original wills submitted to the court for probate
• Intestate proceedings - estates where the deceased left no will
• Guardianships - court oversight for minors or adults unable to care for themselves
• Conservatorships - management of property for incapacitated individuals
• Trust proceedings - court-supervised administration of trust assets

Lake County is a populous county and the probate docket is active. Searching MyCase by name and filtering to probate case types is the fastest way to find a specific case. If you need the physical file or certified copies, contact the clerk's office in Crown Point.

Probate Filing Fees in East Chicago

Indiana state law sets the filing fee schedule for probate cases. The base Probate Costs Fee under IC 33-37-4-7 is $120, and additional court fees bring the standard total to approximately $177. These fees apply uniformly across all Indiana counties, including Lake County.

Copies of court records cost $1 per page under IC 33-37-5-1. Certified copies carry a $3 certification fee per document under IC 33-37-5-3. Lake County accepts credit cards for payments, but a 3% convenience fee applies. If you want to avoid the surcharge, pay by cash or money order.

For online court fee payments, use the Indiana courts payment portal at publicaccess.courts.in.gov/pay. This portal handles payments for cases already in the system. New case filing fees are paid at the clerk's office in person or by mail.

How to Get Copies of Probate Records

Lake County probate records can be accessed in person in Crown Point, by mail, or online through MyCase. The method you choose depends on how quickly you need the records and whether certification is required.

In person: Visit the Lake County Clerk's Office at the courthouse in Crown Point, 2293 N Main Street. Bring the case number, decedent's name, or other identifying details. Staff will locate the file and provide copies at $1 per page. Certified copies cost $3 extra per document. Credit cards are accepted with a 3% fee.

By mail: Write a request letter with the case or decedent information, enclose payment (money order), and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail to: Lake County Clerk, 2293 N Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307. Allow extra processing time for mailed requests, especially for large cases.

Online: Free case viewing through the MyCase portal. Unofficial printouts from your own device are acceptable for many purposes. If you need official certified copies, contact the clerk. The Indiana courts payment site handles online payments for existing court fees.

East Chicago Vital Records

While the East Chicago City Clerk does not handle probate, the office does maintain some vital records. Birth and death certificates for events that occurred within East Chicago can be requested through the city clerk's vital records division.

City Clerk Richard Medina can be reached at (219) 391-8491. The vital records line is (219) 391-8413. Hours for vital records are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bring a valid state-issued photo ID; the city notes it does not accept temporary BMV printouts. Vital records are separate from probate records. They are useful for genealogy research or death documentation, but they are not part of a probate file.

For full Lake County probate court information, visit our Lake County probate records page.

Historical Probate Records

Older probate records from Lake County, particularly those from the early 1900s and before, may be held at the Indiana State Archives. You can search the archives at researchIndiana.iara.in.gov. This is a useful resource for genealogical research involving East Chicago and other Lake County communities going back to Indiana statehood.

Nearby Cities